What Year Was Wigan At It's Peak?

[Guest]

Cos all the people on here have different opinions to me and all are valid.....but l'll go for 77 cos l had gone from the outside looking in to the inside looking out.....what d'ya reckon then...?

Edited April 25, 2010 by webbydublin

[Guest gordon russell]

stopped going in 77.............cause it was shit

[Guest mel brat]

Cos all the people on here have different opinions to me and all are valid.....but l'll go for 77 cos l had gone from the outside looking in to the inside looking out.....what d'ya reckon then...?

1973-1974

[Guest]

1974 for me

Why? I was posted to Germany

When I got back a couple of years l8r I was older&wiser(I think!) and the stuff being played out was

IMHO dross

[The Tempest]

My mates big brother stopped going after 10 yrs solid on the original mod / twisted wheel scene , got married / kids , did the torch , Wigan from day one religiously , in his eyes , the scene died !!! and he went to australia and never looked back !!!!!!!!

Lots of his live nighter tapes from early wigan/ sounds are so good and ahead of their time before the " pop " set in,

Funny nowadays because of the Australian Weekenders , which are a great success downunder , he just ain't interested !

Moral of the story : I ended up with his entire collection of original scooter badges / soul patches / tapes /records in the early 80's

Edited April 26, 2010 by 123-motown

[KevH]

82.

[Pete S]

People who stopped going in 74 will say anything after that was shit.

People who stopped going in 75 will say the same, and so on.

For me, 1976 and most of 1977 was an unbelievable time and the records played then were the best ever. 1978 was terrible music-wise and I stopped going in august, though I'd been every week.

[Ian Dewhirst]

1973-1974

Seconded. Nothing to beat that 1st year of sheer euphoria for me. Mind you, it's obviously a subjective question really isn't it? In '73 I was 18, full of beans with unlimited energy and would routinely start the weekend on a Thursday night and end the weekend @ 1.00am Monday morning with very little sleep throughout (and, believe it or not, no drugs either). Also musically it was utterly brilliant with great new tunes every week and a wealth of stuff to hear.........

Ian D

[Julie Moore]

I personally wasn`t allowed to go till 1980 so that was the yr I`d pick Never experienced like it shit my pants on first night especially when our mick decided to show me into Mr M`s

[Pauldonnelly]

I personally wasn`t allowed to go till 1980 so that was the yr I`d pick Never experienced like it shit my pants on first night especially when our mick decided to show me into Mr M`s

Not my favourite nighter but to witness the queues/dance floor become busier by the week during 74 was something that I shall never forget, occasionly I get flash backs that for s plit second remind me of a green and clear rush, fantastic arena for our music and scene. Too many people knock it thinking it be the right thing to do in reality for the time I was associated with the place, it was without question the dogs scrotum sacks.

[Guest Dave Turner]

Seconded. Nothing to beat that 1st year of sheer euphoria for me. Mind you, it's obviously a subjective question really isn't it? In '73 I was 18, full of beans with unlimited energy and would routinely start the weekend on a Thursday night and end the weekend @ 1.00am Monday morning with very little sleep throughout (and, believe it or not, no drugs either). Also musically it was utterly brilliant with great new tunes every week and a wealth of stuff to hear.........

Ian D

Pretty much sums it for me as well apart from I was 17 and partook in the occassional indulgence. 1973 & 1974 for me. As you say, young, full o beans and generally without a care in the world. A lifestyle wrapped up in itself and fook everyone else.

In general as long as I got back for work Monday morning the weekend from Friday evening onward took care of itself.

"How you getting home" ?

"Don't know, don't care but I will"

I think at such a young age most folks will go along with their earlier years on the scene being the halcyon days.

Stopped going in '75 mainly because Ckeggy opened and apart from being easier to get to I much prefered it, the sounds, the people and everything associated with it.

[Guest mickeyb]

stopped going in 77.............cause it was shit

There was some shit played throughout its existence.

I understand that The Sherrys was the first record played there - not really top quality NS.

In the early days, I may be mistaken cos I didn't start going til '76, the following great soul records were played and I believe were biggies:-

Rat Race

Footsee

Cochise

Sliced Tomatoes

Afternoon of the Rhino (I know, I know, it's a great dancer - but soul?)

The Javells! FFS

I didn't go much between '78 and '80, but it wasn't because of the shit pop tunes - Joe 90, Peggy March blah blah blah. I just went elsewhere and, let's face it they played some shit tunes at St Ives, Peterborough, Yate etc etc as well.

Bottom line for me is that overall the quality was pretty good otherwise nobody would have gone.

[KevH]

There was some shit played throughout its existence.

I understand that The Sherrys was the first record played there - not really top quality NS.

In the early days, I may be mistaken cos I didn't start going til '76, the following great soul records were played and I believe were biggies:-

Rat Race

Footsee

Cochise

Sliced Tomatoes

Afternoon of the Rhino (I know, I know, it's a great dancer - but soul?)

The Javells! FFS

I didn't go much between '78 and '80, but it wasn't because of the shit pop tunes - Joe 90, Peggy March blah blah blah. I just went elsewhere and, let's face it they played some shit tunes at St Ives, Peterborough, Yate etc etc as well.

Bottom line for me is that overall the quality was pretty good otherwise nobody would have gone.

You missed off the Sharonettes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIU9BUSi7WA

[Guest mickeyb]

You missed off the Sharonettes.

https://www.youtube.c...h?v=rIU9BUSi7WA

Yeah and Kenny Bernard and Wayne Gibson....................................

[KevH]

Yeah and Kenny Bernard and Wayne Gibson....................................

I used to like Kenny Bernard.. ..you do mean "Pity my feet" ?

Just realised this hasn't been revived..a gift to ya..!!!

Edited April 26, 2010 by KevH

[Zed1]

Enjoyed 77 as it was my first full year, but 79 was best music wise mainly due to Dickies playlists........

[old but nimble]

1973-1974

i agree, CLOTHES,WOMEN,MUSIC not in that order mind you

Edited April 26, 2010 by old but nimble

[Mrtag]

1973-1974

I'm with you on this one 73/74 best tunes!! best times!! gents toilets still water logged Ha Ha

[Guest JIM BARRY]

I NEVER WENT AFTER 77 SO WOULD HAVE TO SAY 74 TO 77 ALTHOUGH I SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN MR Ms, BEING JUST A KID I WASN'T BOTHERED ABOUT MUSIC POLITICS AT THE TIME, I JUST WANTED TO HEAR AS MANY GREAT SOUNDS AS POSSIBLE AND THE GUYS IN Ms DID IT FOR ME, IAN WILLS ALAN CAIN AND ALAN RHODES WERE GREAT.

[Guest wigan bob]

Cos all the people on here have different opinions to me and all are valid.....but l'll go for 77 cos l had gone from the outside looking in to the inside looking out.....what d'ya reckon then...?

78 to 79 music was better than most of sfuff you hear on scene now

[Guest mickeyb]

Me thinks that you don't like like instrumentals

The Javells was...is...and always will be the tune that reminds me of Wigan the most...

Wrong Phil. I love instrumentals - Bari Track, Making up time, pretty much anything by Junior Walker - ie Soul.

Think well have to agree to disagree re The Javells

[Guest Dave Turner]

Casino played but not reponsible for ----

Rat Race

Sliced Toms

Kenny Bernard (What Love Brings)

Wayne Gibson

All pre-Wigan plays ie Torch, Cat's, VaVa's so really all places played what some of us nowadays think is shite.

Sounded bloody good at the time though

[Guest martyn]

78 to 79 music was better than most of sfuff you hear on scene now

You gotta be kidding , those years were grim , the worst excesses of RW & KM took over . If you wanted to hear proper newies Yate or The Fleet were the order of the day 78/79 .................................Sorry but I can't belive the stuff getting spins these days can be anywhere near as bad as one of Russ's or Keith's spots in 78

[grantdyche]

76-79 for me,

Having read the other postings on this subject,It really depends on when you went,They would have been your best years,

I went back once in 1980 still had a good night,But it was not as electric as I had remembered,

Then again if I had started going in 1980 that would have been my best time,Because no matter what people say about it and some of the stuff that got played it was just a great place,And nothing will ever take the memories of it away,Having said that I can't really remember the first time I went,And there is no way I can remember the first tune I heard there

[Guest JIM BARRY]

You gotta be kidding , those years were grim , the worst excesses of RW & KM took over . If you wanted to hear proper newies Yate or The Fleet were the order of the day 78/79 .................................Sorry but I can't belive the stuff getting spins these days can be anywhere near as bad as one of Russ's or Keith's spots in 78

i'm well aware of the dire stuff russ played all through his career!!! but always thought keith was a good jock, can you give some info on the sort of stuff he played at the casino? (no offence)....jim

[Guest]

74-75.

Why? Because that's when I used to go.

Ang

[Winsford Soul]

75 thru to when it closed in 81. Why.............. because i was going

Seriously would agree with Pete S n go with 77. Why because i think for the first few years Wigan never had its own identity ie playing ex Wheel n Torch tunes but from 75 on it had sorted its own tunes out and knew where it was going musically which from a personal point of view peaked in 77 maybe 78 but thats only my humble opinion which i,m sure loads of people will differ.

Steve

[dthedrug]

Hi All - In my umbel opinion! it was 1973 to it's peek in the spring of 76, and the long hot summer days HOT! HOT! HOT!. Also by then Ken Cox had established his East Anglia's Club that was a big change also the fact the MECCA lost it's sparkle and with SOULFUL SAMANTHA'S with the great JOHN VINCENT doing his thing with EMI disc's , I remember him raving over the Zenith band inst on Beacon? and again you had MARY and her 2 PIERS to go to along with early members of th 6t's rare soul collectors doing Yate a early version of the 100 Club?. and after being busted in the sumer of 75 and being banged up in Leicester nic for 5 months listening to Diddy David Hamilton playing T.D Valentine on the radio (the lengths of time I suffered so many of you had a good time is a cross I have to carry) and busted again in JULY 77 on the way to Huntington this time for intent to supply it would seem that the first 4 years were the best 74 & 76 on par with each over especially for all the different sounds played from UK Pop Flops to New York Disco..HAPPY DAYS DAVE KIL

2 loves have eye!

[DennieFitz]

John Orritt from Croston would know. He is on here under Revilot. I remember him telling me he went to the very first Wigan allnighter and I remember sharing a taxi with him near the last night.

[Guest martyn]

i'm well aware of the dire stuff russ played all through his career!!! but always thought keith was a good jock, can you give some info on the sort of stuff he played at the casino? (no offence)....jim

KM was playing lots of 60's British Helen Shapiro type stuff around that time IIRR . Though to be honest due to the dire playlists (& the place being full of barb heads) , I hardly went to Wigan in 78/79 so perhaps I'm not the right one to stick up a playlist . I just remember it being grim compared to The Fleet & Yate . In fact if it hadn't have been for Richard playing stuff like Cecil Washington & Christine Cooper that you couldnt hear anywhere else , I doubt that many would have bothered .

A different story for the last 2 years though with Richard , Pat Brady , Sam (briefly) , & Gary Rushbrook belting em out

[Guest Sean Haydon]

Clearly a matter of opinion, we all have different musical tastes (luckily). To me was 79 (Searling)

[Guest wigan bob]

You gotta be kidding , those years were grim , the worst excesses of RW & KM took over . If you wanted to hear proper newies Yate or The Fleet were the order of the day 78/79 .................................Sorry but I can't belive the stuff getting spins these days can be anywhere near as bad as one of Russ's or Keith's spots in 78

i meant dickies and rushbrooks stuff

[Wiganer1]

8 YEARS OF FAB MUSIC....STOMPERS,,INTRUMENTALS,,COVER UPS...FLOATERS,,UK POP STOMPERS....WIGAN HAD IT ALL............

[Guest martyn]

i meant dickies and rushbrooks stuff

[Harry Crosby]

i meant dickies and rushbrooks stuff

Too right, was just the other day reading through one of my copies of northern noise, and richards playlist was phenominal to say the least, as ive said before in my opinion the start of the rare soul scene as we know it today, many collectors/dj`s are still chasing those records today 30 odd years on, week after week unbelievable new plays, from the likes of richard & gary. Great days indeed

[funkyfeet]

Wigan was at it's peak 1975-1977 it was packed to the raffters people were locked out during this period enough said, it's peak could never be the latter end as it was dead most nights, what ever your thoughts on the music being played.